Mother
by EmilyVonTrapp
Summary: "She really was the perfect example of a mother. Showing unconditional love to his children while having only known them short of 2 months." Captain von Trapp witnesses a scene between one of her daughters and her governess that makes him see her in a different light.
1. Mother

Hi,

So this story started out Louisa centered but unconsiously (unconsiously? Who am I kidding? Everybody needs some early awkward but cute Georg and Maria in their life!) Anyway it started out as a Louisa centered story because she is probably my favorite of the children and I don't think she gets mentioned/represented enough, but then as I continued writing, it became more about Georg and Maria. So it'll just be a mix I quess?

Happy Reading!

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Maria lay in bed her many thoughts giving her little to no chance to sleep. September was edging closer and Maria's stomach got heavier by the day. How could she not get attached

to those children? She dreaded the day to have to say goodbye to them. She almost felt like a mother- She quickly shoved that thought to somewhere in the back of her mind.

_You're not their mother! _She reminded herself. Not even a second after scolding herself for such a thought she heard someone scream.

"Mother!"

"Louisa…!" She recognized the girls voice immediately and as fast as she could got up from her bed. Quickly slipping on her robe she made a run for the hallway just before hearing her scream again.

"Mother!"

Maria entered the room not knowing the captain was behind her also having heard that same piercing cry. But instead of going in the he stayed back looking through the small gap between door and doorframe. Maria quickly went over to Louisa's bed and knelt down beside her.

"Shhh…" She brushed a few strands of hair away from the girls face "It's alright…"

She gently placed one of her hands on Louisa's arm to steady her.

"Mother!" Came the cry again but this time a bit softer.

"_I'm here…" _It slipped out before she could even think of something else to say "_I'm here sweetheart" _She said it again. She softly stoked her face with the back of her hand. Louisa flinched and her cries got louder again.

"Mother!" she started wriggling under Maria's hold wanting to free herself from her grasp as if trying to reach something or someone "Mother I am so sorry!"

The captain had told Maria that it might have been Louisa's scarlet fever that infected his late wife. The captain still stood in the hallway now completely baffled as to how a child, an innocent child, could ever even think that something like this was her fault. If only he'd been there for her sooner… He inwardly cursed himself for being such a fool. He was blind. Totally blind. That interlude after their trip in the lake was only the beginning. How was he ever going make his daughter truly believe that this wasn't her fault.

_They just need time, captain. _He remembered the comforting words the governess told him. Then he also remembered another quote he read somewhere once but never seemed to forget.

_It has been said that time heals all wounds. The truth is that time does not heal anything. It merely passes. It is what we do during the passing of time that helps or hinders the healing process._

"It is what we do during the passing of time that helps or hinders the healing process..." He repeated the last words. He needed to be with his children and set things right. He- his thoughts suddenly stopped when he heard the fräulein speak again. But this time she said something he hadn't heard in a very long time.

"_Lou…" _

He remembered the time when his wife first used that silly nickname…

"_Come here my little Lou! I am coming to get you!" A 6 month pregnant Agathe von Trapp ran after her now loudly giggling daughter as fast as her swollen feet would carry her. _

"_No- M-mother please…!" She answered finally surrendering to her mother falling into the soft grass. _

"_Now I've got you!" She said lowering herself down next to her daughter tickling her sides making her giggle even more._

_Georg von Trapp sat a few feet away carrying their almost one-year-old son in his lap entangled in a game of memory with Friedrich and Liesl just enjoying the display before him. _

"_Now is that a proper way for a Baroness to behave?" He said with a small chuckle, mimicking one of the baronesses in their social circle._

"_Hmm… Tell me children, is this a proper way for a Baroness to behave?" Agathe asked her children in mock seriousness. _

"_I think," Liesl started "I think that- that- if you are someone's mother you can act that way because you love your children" She said showing a big smile. _

"_What do you think Lou?" Georg asked his youngest daughter who was still wrapped his wife's arms_

"_Papaaa…! You can't call me Lou!" She said crossing her arms in irritation_

"_Oh?" He raised a curious eyebrow at his daughter_

"_Only Mama can call me that… be-because she is my Mother" She replied with a huff as if it was common knowledge. _

"_Oh I see. And how did this mother of yours think of such a silly name?" Georg gave his wife a suspicious look. _

"_Georg, it's not silly, it's cute." She sighed "It just came to me one day" She she continued her face now showing a smile. _

"Shhh… _Lou…_ It's not your fault…"

Georg was pulled out of his thoughts upon hearing the governess's voice again.

"I'm not going anywhere…" Maria felt Louisa's body calm down and her breathing started to slow down to a more regular tempo. She felt that knot in her stomach again when the last sentence left her mouth. She was leaving coming September and was in truth going somewhere.

"Mother…" She said again but now barely audible slowly opening her eyes vaguely aware of what was happening.

"Shhh… _I'm here…_ Go back to sleep darling…" She whispered softly stroking Louisa's face until her features turned soft again and she started to drift back into a more peaceful sleep.

_She really was the perfect example of a mother. Showing unconditional love to his children while having only known them short of 2 months. _

Captain von Trapp was so consumed by his thoughts that he didn't even hear let alone see the governess enter the hallway again. But in return the governess was also in too deep a thought to notice the captain.

"Ouch!" Georg winced out in pain as the door came in contact with his nose and forehead.

"Oh! I- Captain- I- Didn't see you- are you alright?!" She instantly recognized his voice.

"I'm alright… I think…" He moved his hand to touch his face only to pull it back instantly wincing out in pain again.

"Captain! You're bleeding! You must have someone take a look at that!"

"Yes I probably should… I have a first aid kit in my-" _Bathroom. _He quickly rephrased. His en suite bathroom wasn't exactly… an appropriate place for his governess to be in. "I think we have a first aid kit in the kitchen."

She followed him down the stairs into the dimly lit foyer. The large room was dead silent except for the two occupants' steady breathing. Upon entering the kitchen the captain clicked a switch which turned on the lights above the stove and a few lights coming from underneath the upper cabinets. He started opening a few drawers frantically looking for that blasted first aid kit.

"Looking for this?" Maria held up the box with first aid supplies.

"Seven children will hurt themselves at least once if not more in one day so it mustn't come to a surprise that the governess would know where to find it"

He let out a deep sigh "I guess… not…" He replied a bit more irritated than he would have liked but the governess didn't seem to notice his temper or she deliberately chose to ignore it. He heard the sound of running water and saw Maria over the sink.

"I'll be right there I'm just fetching a cloth to clean your wound with"

She returned to the kitchen table and took a seat in front of him.

"Captain I really am sorry…" She said fidgeting with the piece of fabric she held in her hands

"It's alright fräulein really, accidents happen to the best of us" He replied giving her a gentle smile. The smile however faded when he felt the cold cloth against his skin.

"Ahh!" he flinched away from the cold sensation but he instantly relaxed when he felt the Maria's hand cupping his chin

"I can't clean it if you don't stay still captain," She firmed her grip while moving the cloth to clean up the small wound once more.

"You are a natural…" He breathed out as she continued to work on his wounds "W-With the children I mean" He corrected himself.

"Well, I did study to become a teacher plus; it really isn't that difficult to fall in love with your children"

"Yes so it seems…" Georg hesitated, as if not sure how candid he should be.

"Maria… the way you comforted Louisa… I could never do that. They would never trust me enough to come even that close to them…"

"I beg to differ captain; the children talk of nothing else but you, especially the little ones" She gave him a comforting smile

"That nickname you gave Louisa…"

"Oh- It just came to me one day…" Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink not really sure if the captain would approve of her use of such an informal name on his daughter.

"My wife used to call her that too…" He chuckled at the memory "In fact when I asked her about it at the time she said the exact same thing"

"Oh I'm sorry… I…" She stopped not sure what to say.

"No, no that's all right. It obviously calmed her down." He said calming her nerves

"This may sting a little…" She said before dabbing a small dot of ointment onto the wound.

He winced once more which earned him a soft giggle from Maria.

"I'll have you know, fräulein, that even smaller wounds can cause discomfort to a man." He teased

Maria took out a band aid. Her hands trembled slightly as she tried to remove the paper on the back. She edged closer to the captain as she placed the band aid over the wound.

"All done." She said softly her face turning bright red once she realized how close she and the captain were actually sitting. Still, she didn't move nor did the captain.

"I see…" Were the only words that were able to leave his mouth.

Both were lost in a trance. Eyes locked together like magnets. Maria felt like she could hardly breathe. Yet the only thing the captain could do was breathe in her lovely scent. Vanilla mixed with a subtle hint of a soft flower he couldn't quite place. It left him wanting more than just the sensation of her fragrance flowing around him.

When his lips were a mere inch away from hers she came back to reality. Her eyes shot open wide as she backed away sending the first aid kit and the chair flying to the floor.

"Oh captain I-I'm sorry I-" She quickly dropped to the floor putting all the supplies back into the box and before he could even say anything she'd already put the box back in one of the cabinets.

"Maria I-" Before he could even finish his sentence she'd already fled the kitchen running up the stairs.

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Ah... left ya haning there didn't I? How will they handle this elephant in the room? Find out next week on Temptation mountain!

(yes I just made a terrible joke using Temptation Island which i basically just watch with my roommates for a good laugh) (If you don't know what temptation island is just look it up it's so bad that it's actually funny)

Thanks for reading!


	2. The Gazebo

A/N: Here is chapter 2! Thanks for all the lovely reviews i've received on chapter 1 you guys are so amazing! I've been really busy but i'll be sure to reply to all of them soon!

Happy reading!

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Captain von Trapp was still awake when the first rays of sunlight made their way through the velvet curtains of his bedroom, many events of last night still swirling through his mind. Especially the way he let his guard slip around Maria. Sure, he had opened himself up somewhat after their argument by the lake. And he had noticed the way her eyes couldn't stay away from him while he sang Edelweiss after the puppet show the children performed, but a song like that just sets the mood for a passing fancy such as that one. No, what he felt last night was something different. Something that could only be shared by two people so in sync in that one short moment that both allowed their heavy walls to come down.

Though that moment only lasted not even a minute. It managed to keep him up all night. When he slept it would mostly be dreams of her, which he would wakeup from as soon as his conscious came back to him and would rip him out of the dream instantly. They were so short, yet so vivid that it almost seemed real. His lips softly touching hers, his hands going through her soft golden hair. He almost began getting confused about whether or not they actually did share a kiss last night. No, He knew they didn't and that was the way it was supposed to be. Before she arrived he had every intention of proposing to Elsa! _Had? _This really was turning into one big mess very quickly.

He slowly moved his head to look at the clock on his nightstand. It was only just 6:30 am, but he desperately needed to get out of the room to clear his thoughts. He quickly slipped on a shirt and some trousers, not really caring for his appearance at this hour, and made his way towards just the spot that would, hopefully, put his thoughts at ease.

Upon arriving he found the spot already occupied by his second eldest daughter. He'd forgotten that she, like him, was quite the early riser, and loved this spot for early morning thoughts and watching the sun come up.

It pained him to know how his daughter still felt so much blame for the death of his wife, her mother. This was no way for a child to feel. A child should have only lovely memories of their mother, in fact, all of his children deserved nothing but lovely memories of her.

He softly knocked on one of the glass doors of the gazebo, tucked away in the back corner of the large grounds surrounding the villa.

"Oh!" Louisa quickly turned around in surprise. Upon seeing the guest was her father her expression softened.

"I didn't mean to frighten you." He said trying to ease her mind "may I come in?" He added.

"Of course, father." She replied carefully.

After receiving her approval het took a seat. The two sat in comfortable silence for a while until Georg spoke up.

"Your mother loved this gazebo." A wandering thought accidently slipped from his mouth and it took Louisa clearly by surprise.

Her eyes widened for just a second at the mention of her mother, and for a while she didn't know how to reply. After the rather unsettling dream she had last night, she didn't even know how to talk about her mother at all. Especially with her father, a man who, for so long, was so broken with grief.

"Louisa, I really didn't know…" He wanted so much to talk to her about how she felt, but he wasn't sure how to do it.

"Father?" Louisa asked clearly confused.

"I really didn't know, that you still carried all that guilt with you…" He looked down, his hands uncomfortably fumbling in his lap.

Louisa's eyes widened instantly as she quickly stood up to turn away from her. For a moment she just stood there, arms crossed, trying to be a big girl. Like she's done for the last 4 years. She waited for her father to continue. For him to break and lash out in anger for her even thinking about her mother. But he didn't. Instead he comforted her.

"Louisa…" He softly spoke her name again "Nothing, and I mean nothing that happened to your mother was in any way your fault."

He waited for her to turn around but she didn't. Her shoulders slumped forward as she started sobbing, finally allowing herself to rid of her tough girl façade.

"B-but it was m-me that i-infected her!" She said in between sobs, dismissing her father's argument.

"We never found the source of her illness… We were never sure how the infection got transferred over to you mother" He explained further

"But you thought it was me!" She turned around her face red with anger and defeat, a fresh wave of hot tears streaming down her face.

"Did I ever tell you it was your fault?" He asked upon which her daughter turned quiet.

Her sobs grew softer as she looked down at her feet fumbling with her hands.

"Up until now you also never told me it wasn't my fault." She said softly not looking up at her father.

"You never really told me much of anything…" she added in a barely audible whisper. But to her dismay her father had heard exactly what she said.

"I know you and your brothers and sisters were just as hurt and grief stricken as I, and I should have been there to comfort you, instead of running away." He searched for her eyes but they were still glued to the floor.

"Father, you had the right to feel all those feelings," Louisa now looked up and their eyes met instantly "I just wish we were able to feel them together as a family…" She added her lips forming into a somewhat melancholy smile.

"Oh Louisa… if I could turn back the clock and reverse all my wrongdoings I would do it this instant…" Upon hearing her father say those words she slowly made her way towards him.

Georg got up from one of the small gazebo benches he sat on, also making his way over to his daughter. They met in the middle sharing and embrace that was long overdue. No more words needed to be said. The love that was shared through this embrace was all they needed for the moment.

"Papa…" It felt odd calling him that. She hadn't called him that in years.

"Oh Lou…" She heard her father use the nickname her mother gave her. She instantly pulled out of the embrace.

"You cannot call me that!" She said in a mock serious tone trying her best not to crack a smile

"_Only mama can!"_

"_Only mama can!"_

Both Georg and Louisa spoke simultaneously to finish the sentence they both remembered all too well. Soon both couldn't help but laugh at the sudden remembrance of that phrase.

"Oh Louisa… I really am sorry…" He moved one hand to stroke her face wiping her tears away with his thumb

"I know that now…" She replied her lips curling into a soft smile

"But I'm glad that it isn't possible to turn back time" She said

Georg raised a curious eyebrow waiting for her to explain

"Because you could, fräulein Maria might not even have been our governess" She explained a beaming smile on her face.

For a moment he froze. All night she was the thing depriving him from sleep. Keeping him awake by swirling through his thoughts, but since he met with his second eldest daughter the interlude he and the governess shared last night had momentarily slipped his mind. He quickly pushed the thought away.

"She is quite something isn't she?" He replied with an amused chuckle.

"Oh, yeah she's great!" Her smile growing even bigger than he thought possible a twinkle in her eyes that he hadn't seen in a very long time.

"You know," Her smile faded to a more muted expression

"I had this weird dream last night. A-about mother. I dreamt that I was running after her and I couldn't reach her, but then suddenly she stopped. 'I'm right here'. That's what she kept saying while she laid her hand on her heart"

She stopped unsure if she should continue, but her father gave her a reassuring nod.

"Then she left, but I could still hear her voice. Well, I thought it was her voice but it sounded different."

_Maria… _

Georg instantly thought of Maria and the way she comforted his daughter last night. Comforting his daughter like a mother should be comforting her daughter. Caressing her cheek. Telling her that it will all be alright. Showing unconditional love. There they were again, all these motherly qualities that he saw in Maria. It almost made him wonder why she, a beautiful, vibrant young woman like her would make the decision to enter the convent-

"Father are you alright?" Louisa asked interrupting her father's deep thoughts

"Oh, yes! I-I'm fine!" His head snapped as he pulled himself from his thoughts. He shouldn't even be asking himself, nor the governess such questions!

"I'm really do hope mother knows that I really do carry her with me in my heart." Louisa said with a hint of sadness.

"She knew that from the moment you were born…" He said while softly stroking her daughters soft blond hair.

"Do you really think?" She looked up at her father

"I know so." Georg replied giving her a soft smile.

She returned the favour by giving him a bright beaming smile. He couldn't be happier than knowing that he was the reason for that smile.

"Thank you father!" She moved on her tiptoes to give her father a quick kiss on the cheek before dashing off.

Not even realizing more than an hour had passed he quickly looked at his watch as he heard her daughter mention getting ready breakfast. He also vaguely heard her say something about feeding her ant farm? _Wait, what...?_

"Louisa? What's this ant farm I'm just now hearing about-"

"Sorry father, gotta go!" She quickly turned to her father to give a short answer before making a run for the villa.

_An ant farm._ Yet another thing to discuss with Maria- _fräulein Maria- the governess. _He thought it was best to just refer to her as the governess, but after the interlude they shared last night and the way she entered his thoughts depriving him from sleep calling her the governess seemed all but the right thing…

She would look lovely standing right here in the gazebo. Her short golden blond hair glistening by the first rays of sunlight. Softly humming a new song, he had yet to hear the children sing. Her soft blue sundress fitting her like a glove, the skirt flowing perfectly around her shapely legs… _Oh god what was he doing?_

Before he could take his thoughts any further they were loudly interrupted by the two people he expected least of all to be up at this hour.

"Yoo-hoo!" He heard his impresario best friend chime a bit too loud for his liking.

"There you are Georg!" He added speaking in his signature jovial fashion.

Behind him followed the baroness, tiptoeing through damp grass leading up to the back of the corner of the estate. She looked none too pleased, having to break in her new expensive high heels by walking through this "dirty" wet grass. Despite the early hour she did look elaborately done up as to be expected. Her hair in perfect curls held up with layer upon layer of hairspray. Not a smudge on her makeup, and every item of her outfit matching perfectly. Though he did find Elsa to be quite attractive, he also started to wonder if she really was what he, _or the children_ needed.

"What erm… has you both up at early hour…?" He asked clearly surprised at their sudden presence.

"Now Georg, am I really making that boring of a conversation for you to remember any of it?" Elsa spoke up giving Georg an icy glare for him not remembering her every appointment and meeting in her packed schedule.

"I told you that was going back to Vienna for the weekend to have a look at the new Hans Weimann collection. I did tell you he has a show this weekend…" She added, her annoyance evident in her voice.

"Now I would tell you the rest of my plans, but that would clearly be a waste of my time for it will probably be forgotten within seconds of me telling you about them." She let out a deep sigh continuing in the same annoyed manner. Apparently her mood wasn't as "up" as her hairdo yet at this hour.

"I must be off now, darling. You can expect us back on Monday somewhere in the afternoon." She moved to plant a kiss on Georg's cheek.

And with that she was off, trying to gracefully tiptoe her way back through towards to the villa.

"I really must be off too Georg. I too have a few arrangements in Vienna to take care of and I'm going to see a choir I'm _very _interested in" He gave Georg one of his dollar sign grins, rubbing his hands together with glee.

"Oh, and you'll be rid of me for the weekend as well. Elsa has kindly offered me to stay with her!" He said before following after Elsa, also making his way back towards the villa.

"And It won't even cost me a dime, how marvellous!" He added with a little spring in his step.

Georg let out a deep sigh. So it seemed the weekend would be spent with only his children and their governess. How on earth was he going to keep her out from his thoughts now? That was three times breakfast, lunch and dinner he'd have to sit through having to desperately try and keep his thoughts under control.

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A/N: Ok so I'm not entirely sure about this one because I thought this was going to be a half Louisa half Maria chapter just like chapter 1 but this one turned quite long already and I didn't want to forcefully add Maria in somewhere just to have her in the chapter and have her be out of character and sort of ingenuine if you get what I mean. + kinda liked the suspence and to be able to give them a full chapter of their own for as much awkward denial and sexual tension as possible! So for our true Maria fans: Stay tuned for chapter 3!

I'm not really sure about how i'm portraying the baroness here tho to be honest. I thought the bit with the grass would be funny but maybe that makes her seem even more of a stuck up btch than in she is in the movie? I always find the Elsa a tricky character to portray because I'm always in a battle between making her nice under al that icyness or just making her a straight up btch lol. would love to get some feedback on that!

Thanks for Reading! Xx


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